


The Crooked City

by starrnobella



Series: Interstellar Novella [58]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Blind Date, F/M, Hermione's Haven Bingo 2020, Hermione's Haven Roll-A-Drabble, Machu Picchu - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:15:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23163121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrnobella/pseuds/starrnobella
Summary: A trip to clear her mind allows Hermione the chance to reconnect with someone she hadn't seen in a long time. COMPLETE
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Cormac McLaggen
Series: Interstellar Novella [58]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/590830
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10
Collections: Hermione's Haven Bingo 2020





	The Crooked City

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This was written for Hermione's Haven during #HHBingo20. This story filled square O5 - Machu Picchu. I also used this story to fit my Hermione's Haven Roll A Drabble for the month of February where I was rolled Cormac McLaggen and Blind Date. I was also challenged to make the story fit the title "The Crooked City."
> 
> Beta work was done by Grammarly and the only thing I own in this little tale is the plot.
> 
> Be sure to let me know what you think!
> 
> Love always,  
> ~starr

Hermione looked at the gorgeous view in front of her and smiled. She was beyond ecstatic that she had chosen to challenge herself to take the four-day hike along the Incan Trail to see Machu Picchu. She was just getting ready to settle in for the night of day three before the short journey up to the ruins in time for sunrise. It would be the perfect way to end her trip to Peru before she needed to head back to London and the realities of life there.

While she may have been running away from the stressors of her job, there was no denying that she just needed the break. With being away for a few days, she was able to find clarity and be able to work through some of the things that were giving her difficulty before her trip. It also allowed her to forget about the disaster that was her previous relationship.

She shuddered at the thought as she carded a hand through her curls. She didn't need to be thinking about him right now. Hermione turned away from the view in front of her and focused her attention back on her tent. All it would take was a flick of her wrist and the whole thing could be set up and ready to go. However, she was surrounded by Muggles, and it wasn't in her best interest to use magic at the moment.

She sighed reluctantly as she dropped her rucksack from her shoulder and on to the ground, bending over to dig out her tent and started setting up her campsite for the evening. It would be dark soon, so she didn't want to waste too much more time. As she turned her focus to setting up her tent, a breeze gusted up and sent something flying into the back of Hermione's knees.

Puzzled by what it was that hit her, Hermione dropped the tent and turned to see what it was. On the ground at her feet was a note. She leaned down, picking it up, and as she flipped it over in her hands, she saw her name scrawled across the front of the envelope. She looked around at her surroundings and didn't see any faces that she recognized, so who knew she was here? Hopefully, the answer to that question would be found inside the envelope in her hands.

_I've been watching you along this journey, and with each new day, I feel my heart smile just being in your presence. You haven't noticed me yet, but I've certainly noticed you._

_Meet me at the highest point of the plantation tomorrow morning at sunrise. I'll be the one with the camera._

"Well, this is an interesting turn of events," Hermione mumbled to herself. A mystery admirer was asking her out for a blind date at sunrise. She chuckled softly to herself as she realized just how silly the idea sounded, but at the same time, she was happy to feel her heart flutter at the sudden possibility.

She had never thought of Machu Picchu as a romantic place, but maybe she would have a change of thought in the morning. Shaking her head with a smile on her face, she tucked the note from her secret admirer into her bag and finished setting up her tent for the night. She finished just as the sunset behind the mountain, and the Earth fell quiet. Tomorrow was going to be a brand new adventure.

. . . . . . . .

Rising as the sun started to peek out from beneath the Earth, Hermione quickly packed up her campsite and began her trek to the top of the plantation. The paths she followed were crooked as they led up to the top of the ruins. The view in front of her was beautiful, and Hermione could not wait to take in its full beauty from the top of the world.

She felt her nerves starting to get the best of her as she walked closer to the highest point in the plantation. Soon she would be meeting her mysterious caller, and while she was excited about that possibility, there was a part of her that was extremely nervous. What if it was someone from her past that she just didn't want to see at the moment? But what if it was someone new and exciting, allowing her a chance to continue this fantastic adventure? All those questions would soon be answered as she noticed a stranger waiting just up ahead.

Hermione was a tad too far away to determine if there was a camera involved, but even still, she quickened her pace in the hopes of catching the sunrise from the perfect location in the whole region.

Nearing the stranger, Hermione couldn't help but realize that she recognized precisely who was waiting for her at the highest point on the plantation. She shook her head as she walked up behind him with a smile on her face, slowly reaching out to tap him on the shoulder. "Color me surprised to see you here, McLaggen."

Cormac spun around on his heels and smiled as he locked eyes with Hermione. "I see you got my note."

"It was kind of hard to miss when it smacked into my knee," Hermione replied, reaching out to give him a one-armed hug. "It's good to see you, Cormac."

"It's good to see you too, Hermione. I'm just glad you took me up on my offer to watch the sunrise," he replied, smirking as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind Hermione's ear.

"With a note as sweet as yours, how could I say no?" Hermione replied, her cheeks flushing with warmth as his hand gently brushed her cheek. "What brings you to Machu Picchu?"

"I just wanted to get away from the rest of the world for a while," Cormac replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I just couldn't believe how lucky I was to spot someone I knew along the crooked paths leading to this amazing city."

"I know the feeling well," Hermione said, nodding her head slowly. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the sun starting to crest in the distance. She smiled and turned to face the sun. Maybe this trip was turning out to be something even more amazing than she initially thought.


End file.
